A Snake Can Never Fall In Love With A Lion
by doof2001
Summary: Draco's Father tells him a saying every night and Draco really does want to believe it...or does he? Drarry one-shot, based mostly off the movies.
_A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

That's what my Father always said.

Every night before I went to bed he would say,

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I never really understood it at first. I always had so many questions.

Did that mean a Lion could still fall in love with a Snake?

Why would a Snake in love with a Lion in the first place?

What would happen if a Snake didn't listen?

What if a Lion loved a Snake but didn't know a Snake couldn't love a Lion?

Is the purpose of the saying to make a Snake scared of love?

What if both a Lion and a Snake fell in love anyway?

Would that make it okay?

Father would answer, and at first I thought it was because he didn't know.

I thought this for many years, and it wasn't until the age of fourteen that I started to understand the saying a bit more. Maybe a Snake stood for something bigger, along with a Lion.

So when Father told me the saying I still had the same questions apart from one new one,

Did a Snake and a Lion really just stand for that? An animal?

Of course, once again my Father didn't answer me and I was left to wonder.

* * *

At school, I would see the Snakes and the Lions and repeat in my head,

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

Because if I kept repeating that as I bullied him, made fun of his clothes, his parents; it wouldn't happen. And it wouldn't happen because it was true.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

I understood now that Father did not mean a Snake stood for _a Snake_ , and a Lion did not stand for _a Lion_.

Not necessarily.

My Father kept telling me the saying every night by owl when I was at school, and when I came home for the holidays, he told me every night in person.

He didn't seem very bothered when one night I stopped asking questions. He just made sure I would never forget that _a Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

Now, as a fifteen year old and about to go back to my _real_ home for fifth year, I have decided what a Snake and a Lion stood for.

Snake = Slytherin.

Lion = Well...Gryffindor.

It made sense, really. All of it.

Apart from the fact if Father was telling me I could never fall in love with a Gryffindor, then...then how could it be-

No, no. It's not happening. It's to scary for it to happen.

I push the thought away and bring up a new one.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

At school I bullied him more, which was easier now that I am a prefect.

The thought started repeating in my head more and more often as the days went on.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

 _A Snake-_

I look up to see blazing emerald eyes across the Potions classroom.

- _can fall in love with a Lion if bloody well wants to too._

No.

That wasn't right.

I shook my head and went back to my potion, muttering quietly.

* * *

 _'A Snake can **never** fall in love with a Lion.'_

Came the letter that night.

But what if it _did_?

What if _I_ was falling in love with a Lion?

Of course I couldn't ask Father that, though.

Father wouldn't like it.

I went to sleep, and the next day came and went. Packed with insults and worries about Snakes and Lions.

I can't think of those two animals without a capital first letter now. They're just too important.

I went home for the two week holiday in the middle of the year in which I thought. And thought. And thought. And thought about the Lion.

After a week of thinking of I wrote the Lion a letter.

 _Hello._

 _It's weird, I never thought I would end up doing this but I've thought about it for the last week and it seems the best thing I can do at this moment._

 _I'm sorry._

 _I'm sorry for calling Granger a Mudblood. She's smart, smarter than me, and I was wrong, listening to Father. It shouldn't matter what blood she is. Father was wrong and so was I._

 _I'm sorry for making fun of Weasley's family and home. They aren't really that poor. Most of the people at school buy second hand stuff simply because it's cheaper and not because it's all they can afford._

 _But most of all; I'm sorry about making fun of you and especially your parents. It was so wrong and I am such a git for doing that. I have no idea what it's like not having parents but my guess is that it is fucking horrible. I'm so sorry. You don't stink. Weasley is your king. Granger shouldn't let what other people think or call her bring her down because they are all lies. She could do anything she wants._

 _I'm so so sorry._

 _I hope you can forgive me._

 _Draco Malfoy._

I folded up the letter and put it in an envelope. I stared long and hard at the words _Harry Potter_ on the back.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

I thought as I sent the owl off.

I thought the same thing when my heart leaped out of my chest as I was woken up at one in the morning by a _tap tap tap_ on my closed window.

My owl had returned.

I flung away my duvet and rushed to the window, giving my owl a treat before going back to my bed.

Out of the cold and under the covers; I reached for my wand and cast a lumos before opening the letter.

 _Hello._

 _You're right, it is a bit weird and it took me ages to reply because I had no idea what to do._

 _If you were joking; please just burn this letter. There is no reason in reading on._

 _If you weren't joking then, well, carry on I guess._

 _First, I want to say that I only half believe you and only half forgive you. I would have to see how you act at school._

 _But...I do want to say thank you._

 _And all of me wants your letter to be true._

 _If it really, really is, share a compartment with me, Hermione, and Ron on the way to Hogwarts. We can discuss this further there._

 _Again, thank you, Draco._

 _Harry Potter._

I let the letter fall from my slightly shaky hands.

Draco?

Did...did Potter really just call me Draco?

I couldn't believe it.

Of course I was going to sit with them, it was just I still had to wait a _whole week_ until I could.

I spent most of it wondering around the house, bored out of my mind.

Then, it was finally the night before school and Father came in and repeated the same phrase,

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

But I was hardly listening.

* * *

The next day, I made my way through the crowd on platform nine and three quarters and kept an eye out for the Lion.

Not to bully him this time.

But as I couldn't see him, I decided he had already gotten on the train and so I did the same.

I walked down the corridors, checking each compartment as I did before I heard,

"Do you think he'll come?"

Granger.

"I hope so..." A nervous voice this time-the Lion.

"I bloody well don't."

"Ron!"

I took a deep breath and knocked on the compartment door.

Harry's face lit up when he saw me and stood up to open it.

I smiled sheepishly at him.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I repeated in my head as I sat next to him, thighs touching.

I carried on repeating this as I talked about what I'd said in the letter.

As Harry and Granger defended me.

As Weasley grudgingly accepted me into their group.

As Granger smiled warmly at me.

 ** _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._**

I told myself sternly as Harry grinned at me, and I grinned back.

I told myself this as I laughed with the Lion.

As I walked into Hogwarts with him.

As he hugged me goodbye.

As I walked over to Crabbe and Goyle at the Slytherin table.

They were too stupid to realise that I had made friends with the Golden Trio.

Or that we no longer bullied them.

Or that I only sat with Crabbe and Goyle when I had too.

Then, one day, it was just me and Harry.

Just a Snake and a Lion.

We were sitting by the lake, skimming, or rather trying to skim, stones on the dark navy surface.

Both of us started getting bored of this and decided to walk over to the dock.

I took off my robes and so did the Lion, before both of us rolled up our trousers and sat at the end of the wharf, our feet breaking the still surface of water.

We just sat and talked for a while, our hands side by side, pinkies touching.

That's when I saw the giant black squid come rushing up towards us.

I yelped and jumped back, pulling Harry with me.

We landed in a heap, and water splashed us as the squid fell back down into the water.

Both of us started laughing.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

I thought as Harry, both of us still laughing, bent his head down so it was resting on my shoulder.

I thought it again a moment later when he relaxed and shifted over so my arm that had been around him as when pulled back from the squid, was wrapped around him as he kept his head on my shoulder.

That night, the letter came again,

 _'A Snake can **never** fall in love with a Lion.'_

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I repeated.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with fucking Lion weather you like it or not so get your fucking mind together._

I ripped up the letter, angry tears pricking my eyes because it was _all lies_.

It had to be.

Father had been wrong about Hermione and other things before, hadn't he?

Part of me was telling me that this time he wasn't wrong, and the other part of me was saying he's _lying to you._

It had to be lies though, because if it wasn't...

I shook myself off.

It didn't matter if it was lies or not because it wasn't happening.

The Snake wasn't falling in love with the Lion and never would.

 _Because a Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I told myself when I went to sleep.

When Harry hugged me hello.

When Harry mussed my hair playfully and I would pretend to care.

When Harry told me sarcastically that I was beautiful.

When Harry hugged me goodbye.

When Harry came running to me, tears pricking his eyes.

When I comforted him.

When Harry told me I was beautiful and he wasn't being sarcastic at all.

When Harry asked me to go to Hogsmead with him.

When one date turned into ten.

When Harry kissed me for the first time and I kissed him back.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

Is what I repeated as our tongues wrapped around each other.

What I repeated when I told Harry what the Dark Lord planned for me when I turned sixteen.

What I repeated when I cried in Harry's arms because it hurt so much.

What I repeated when Harry smiled softly at me all throughout sixth year.

What I repeated when he said it was okay and he'd find a way so I wouldn't have to finish my mission.

What I repeated after Dumbledore died.

What I repeated when he and I were crying as Harry told me goodbye to leave with Hermione and Ron.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

Is what I tell myself now, alone in my room, with my Lion on the run as I await my next order.

I hate it in here.

Just waiting to see who I have to torture next.

It's too bare, there's no colour anymore.

But it's the safest place for me to wait.

And so I do.

I wait. And I wait. And I wait.

And them I'm being called to the living room to see none other than the Lion and his friends held captive.

They want me to identify them, but I won't.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I let Harry take my wand, almost breaking down at the slightest touch of fingers. And maybe they'll let me stop doing missions if I don't have a wand.

Then it's the height of the war and I'm alone and afraid.

I decide to apparate to Blaise and Crabbe and then they are by my side and I see the Lion go into the Room of Requirement.

I follow.

But things get out of hand and Crabbe cast a bloody Fiendfyre.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion_.

I think as Harry saves my life and I can finally hug him close.

But I can't stay when we drop to the floor, I have to find my Mother. Make sure she's okay and that she knows I'm okay.

I don't find her though and everyone is starting to head outside so I follow.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I repeat around and around my head because I am trying so hard not to break down in front of everyone.

 _Harry_.

"Harry Potter, is dead!"

My heart sinks and my eyes are welling up but I can't cry, _can't cry_.

 _Deadeadead_

 ** _DON'TCRY._**

 _Deadeadead_

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

Then my parents are telling me to come over to the dark side and I think,

 _'Why not?'_

Harry's dead. It doesn't matter anymore.

But I still can't bring myself to meet Hermione and Ron's eyes as I walk over.

Then Harry jumps out of Hagrid's arms and I stop mid walk.

He's alive.

He's alive!

I duck and run back.

Back to Hermione and Ron who step forward in front of me, wands raised, ready to protect-to protect _me_ , I realise.

Then the Lion's running, running and completely _alive_.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I repeat as I stumble into what's left of the Great Hall after the war is won.

There's people everywhere and I run to Hermione and Ron who hug me tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." I repeat over and over.

I pull back and wipe away a tear.

"It's okay, Draco..." Hermione says and Ron nods his head in agreement.

And then I turn around.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I start walking to him.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

He starts walking to me.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

I let tears stream down my face as we both break into a run.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

When we're a few inches apart we stop.

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

 _A Snake can never fall in love with a Lion._

"Draco?" Harry breaths out, tears running down his face as well.

 _"Harry."_ I say and sob as I seize him into a tight embrace, never wanting to let go again.

 _And so the Snake fell in love with the Lion._

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this one-shot and if you did please review and or favourite! Thank you again -Ritz :)


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